DR1 Daily News - Friday, 10 March 2017

Honoring nation founder Francisco del Rosario Sánchez
Migration agents to offer counsel at Sosúa office
New resolution for extraction of raw materials
New platform to denounce corruption
Education Minister Andres Navarro suffers fall, sent to rest
Municipality and Ministry of Culture to the rescue of city heritage
School breakfast suppliers cut their credit
Federico Domínguez Aristy to preside Adozona board
Shopify promoted for Dominican vendors
Three persons killed while transporting chickens in Bávaro
In case of murder of university rector, justice is just too slow
DR defeats Canada in WBC game 1; big screens to watch the series

Honoring nation founder Francisco del Rosario Sánchez
In his Twitter account, President Danilo Medina highlighted on Thursday, 9 March that the legacy of Francisco del Rosario Sánchez is still in force. He referred to him as a man who, without seeking anything in return, dreamed and fought for a free, sovereign and independent nation. "Sanchez's legacy remains in force. His courage and values inspire us every day to serve the Dominican people," he stated. "We honor his memory working together in this project of nation called Dominican Republic".

On Thursday, President Medina traveled west to Barahona to visit the Jaime Mota Public Hospital that is under renovation by the OISOE construction division of the Presidency. Medina was represented by Administrative Minister of the Presidency at the Sánchez commemorative events of the Te Deum and wreath placing ceremony at the Altar de la Patria in the capital city.

Meanwhile, as part of commemorative activities of the 200th anniversary of Dominican nation founding father Francisco del Rosario Sanchez, the Senate also rendered homage to Sánchez in an event led by Senate president Reinaldo Pared Pérez. Senator José Rafael Vargas gave the keynote address that highlighted the contributions Sánchez made to our country’s proclamation of independence in 1844 against Haitian dominance.

Sanchez was born in Santo Domingo on 9 March 1817. When founding father Juan Pablo Duarte was exiled, Sánchez successfully took the lead of the independence movement that culminated with the raising of the Dominican flag on 27 February 1844, marking the start of the Dominican Republic.

After a brief period of turmoil and quick political succession, Pedro Santana exiled the main architects of the independence. Sánchez was exiled in Curacao and was eventually pardoned. He returned to the Dominican Republic in time to see Santana invite Spain to re-occupy the country as a colony in 1861. Sánchez led a force in an attempt to overthrow Santana, but was captured by Santana's forces and executed that same year.

Before his death, during a trial to which he was subjected, he proclaimed: "To raise the Dominican flag, it was necessary to spill the blood of Sánchez, to lower it also needs Sánchez.”

Sánchez is entombed in the Altar de la Patria mausoleum at the Puerta del Conde in the Colonial City alongside fellow nation founding fathers Juan Pablo Duarte and Matías Ramón Mella.

Migration agents to offer counsel at Sosúa office
The municipal government of Sosúa in Puerto Plata announced the Migration Agency (DGM) would visit 15-17 March 2017 to assist foreigners with their legal residency. The migration officials would offer counsel from an office l at the municipal government building of Sosúa. The office will be offering migratory assistance on Wednesday, 15, Thursday, 16 and Friday, 17 March 2017, from 9am to 5pm in Sosúa.

New resolution for extraction of raw materials
The Ministry of Environment issued Resolution 0001/2017 that establishes new mechanisms for increased control and supervision on the environmental impacts of non-metallic raw materials extraction. The Ministry says the new measures seek to simplify and make more transparent the procedures of those granted concessions for the extraction of aggregates.

The resolution describes clear guidelines to be followed in the extraction of materials and provides detailed rules for restoration that must be adhered to during and after the approved extraction operation. It also seeks to regularize the hundreds of companies that have operated for years without effective supervision from the Ministry.

The plan also seeks to reduce the extraction in environmentally fragile areas, and definitively bans the issuance of concessions in officially designated protected areas, river and stream basins, wetlands, areas located less than 150 meters from coastal areas and areas of high risk to populations or public service infrastructure. Extraction is also banned in areas declared of tourist interest, world heritage areas or protected archaeological sites.

The Ministry announced the implementation of surveillance by photogrammetry, with the use of remote sensing technologies and drones for surveying and mapping.

“The role of the Ministry is not to create obstacles to development and growth, but regulate productive activities so these comply with the law that governs the sustainable use of our nation’s natural resources.”

New platform to denounce corruption
The Chamber of Accounts (CCRD), the Dominican government auditing agency, and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) announced on Thursday, 9 March 2017 the start of the “Citizen Eyes” (Portal Ojo Ciudadano) platform to facilitate citizen participating in the control of public resources. Complaints will be received by telephone and in person (from 8 to 4pm, Monday through Friday) and online 24/7.

The program seeks to ensure the transparent use of funds, accountability and good management by public officials of government resources.

The announcement was made during a press conference called by the president of the Chamber of Accounts, Hugo Álvarez Pérez and the resident representative of the UNDP in the Dominican Republic, Lorenzo Jiménez de Luis. Alvarez explained that the platform was developed by teams from the CCRD and the UNDP with the support of the European Union.

Education Minister Andres Navarro suffers fall, sent to rest
Education Minister Andrés Navarro went home to recover from a trip and fall suffered when attending the Te Deum in honor of nation founding father Francisco del Rosario Sánchez at the Santo Domingo Cathedral on Thursday, 9 March 2017. Miguel Medina, public relations officer for the Ministry made the announcement from his Twitter account.

"I take my fall as a call from God, so as not to forget how fragile we are, regardless of rank or status, and it tells me to remain humble," Navarro wrote in the evening in his official Twitter account. He said he would be back to work on Friday.

Municipality and Ministry of Culture to the rescue of city heritage
The city government of the National District announced the start of works for the restoration of the Friar Antón de Montesinos monument on the Malecón on Monday, 13 March 2017. He says the project has a RD$23 million budget. City mayor David Collado made the announcement accompanied by Culture Minister Pedro Vergés.

The two government entities committed to an inter-institutional agreement for the rescuing of national heritage monuments and activities on Thursday, 9 March 2017.

Collado said they have on agenda the recovery of the Plazoleta La Trinitaria, with funds from the city government. The agreement also calls for recovery of the statues in the Mirador del Sur Park, the participation of the city government in the organization of the Santo Domingo International Book Fair, and the unifying of efforts and resources for the celebrating of the Santo Domingo Carnival.

School breakfast suppliers cut their credit
The president of the Asociación de Suplidores de Alimentos a las Escuelas de República Dominicana that supplies public school breakfast announced they are suspending food service as of 13 March 2017. Marino Peralta, president of the organization, said the government is in arrears with their members since October 2016. Given these circumstances, they say they can no longer afford to continue the service.

Peralta said the stoppage is not to pressure the authorities but is due to the internal situation the lack of payment has caused within their businesses. He said they have over extended their own credit with their suppliers.

Peralta says they have informed Rene Jaquez Gil, director of the Instituto Nacional de Bienestar Estudiantil, the government department in charge of the school breakfast program. They urged that President Danilo Medina intervene and order payment to be made to the school food service association members.

Federico Domínguez Aristy to preside Adozona board
The Dominican Free Zone Association (Adozona) announced engineer Federico Domínguez Aristy was chosen president of the organization for 2017-2019. Domínguez is one of the founders of the Parque Industrial Santiago Norte SA (Pisano) where 32 industries are located. Pisano employs around 6,200 workers.

The new president of Adozona is a graduate of the Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana de México (UAM), with postgraduate studies in foreign trade and diplomacy from the PUCMM in Santiago. From 2015-2016 he was vice president of the Asociación Latinoamericana de Zonas Francas (AZFA), of which he is also a founding member. He has been a member of Adozona since 1992, and has served as treasure, secretary and advisor to the board. Since 1994 he has represented the organization in the Customs Committee / Adozona-CNZFE.

Shopify promoted for Dominican vendors
Banco Popular and its Azul credit card payment system wants to help Dominicans use the Shopify ecommerce solution that allows for setting up online stores to sell goods. Azul would serve as the digital payments platform.

Banco Popular’s Servicios Digitales Popular division and their AZUL trademark announced the signing on Wednesday, 8 March 2017, of an alliance with Shopify. The agreement was signed by Eugene A. Rault Grullón, general manager of Servicios Digitales Popular and Isabel Vives, vice president eCom Latino, representative for Shopify in Latin America.

Three persons killed while transporting chickens in Bávaro
Three men were murdered at dawn on Thursday, 9 March 2017, in Veron, La Altagracia in a poultry truck in Veron, in which they were occupants. The victims were identified as 33-year old John Kenny Morla Mercedes, the driver of the truck, and his assistants, nationalized Haitians 28-year old Johnny Benoit de los Santos, and 38-year old Sony Fis Joseph.

The men were traveling in a white Hyundai truck (license plate 1348525). The Police said they were murdered around 4am. The motive may have been robbery.

The Police said the criminals used branches, rocks and other obstacles to force the truck to stop on the Mata Mosquito-Bavaro stretch. The Police suspects that when the truck did not stop, the assailants opened fired.

Forensic doctor, Dimas Bobea told El Nacional that the driver of the truck was a resident in La Romana and had three bullets in his thorax and another in the left arm; Benoit had an impact in his left arm and Fish in the front of his face. The driver had two RD$50 bills in his pocket, and Benoit had RD$60.

The owner of the truck, Francisco Avilas, said that the truck had left at midnight from Higuey to transport the chickens.

The Police say that the truck had delivered half of its cargo and the murderers could have thought they were carrying cash.

The Police said 36 persons have been detained and are being questioned by authorities. The Police are waiting for a report from the owner of the truck to determine if the transporters carried cash on them that was stolen from the delivery that was made at 2am.

In case of murder of university rector, justice is just too slow
Legal defense and the family of murdered former rector of the state university (UASD), Mateo Aquino Febrillet used the anniversary of his murder to protest for delays in the justice system. Mateo Aquino Febrillet was murdered on 11 March 2016. The lead accused in the case, Blas Peralta is the president of the country’s largest trucking union.

DR defeats Canada in WBC game 1; big screens to watch the series
Watch Team Dominican Republic defend its 2013 World Baseball Classic Championship title in Miami, Florida on big screens installed in several shopping centers in Santo Domingo and Santiago. The Ministry of Sports is sponsoring the big screens for the enjoyment of local fans.

From the first game against Canada on Thursday, 9 March 2017, when the Dominican Republic defeated Canada, 9-2, the games are aired at 7pm from the Marlins Park in Miami.

The second game will be on Saturday, 11 March 2017, as the Dominican Republic takes on its strongest contender in Pool C, the United States at 7:30pm. The third game will be on Sunday, 12 March, against Colombia at 12:30pm. Canada, US, Colombia and the DR are part of Pool C of the World Baseball Classic.

In Santo Domingo the big screens are located at Galeria 360 and Sambil malls on Av. John F. Kennedy. In the eastern part of Greater Santo Domingo, they are at the Megacentro shopping mall.

In Santiago, there will be big screens at the Colinas Mall and another in front of the Monumento de los Heroes de la Restauracion, at the entrance to the city.

This is also an opportunity to catch a glimpse of the 2013 World Baseball Championship trophy, as the Ministry of Sports will be rotating it for fans attending the Galeria 360, Sambil, Megacentro, Colinas Mall and Monumento big screen locations.

Minister of Sports Danilo Diaz says this is an opportunity to highlight that for the Dominican Republic sports are a country brand.

In the game against Canada, the DR power team took off in the second inning, scoring four runs on six hits.

Meanwhile, news sources report that Dominicans baseball fans took the Marcha Verde (Green March) campaign for an end to corruption and impunity in government to the Miami stadium.